CONWAY - Top-seeded Coastal Carolina University will play its first game of the 2014 Big South Softball Championship on Thursday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. against either Gardner-Webb or Liberty, based on the pairings released by the conference Sunday evening.

The regular-season champion and host Chanticleers (38-14) will face the survivor of Thursday morning's play-in game between the eighth-seeded Runnin' Bulldogs (16-35) and ninth-seeded Flames (10-44), which gets action at Coastal Carolina Softball Stadium started at 9 a.m.

The double-elimination tournament will continue with six games on Friday. Coastal will face either Campbell or Winthrop in its second game at either 2 p.m. or 9 a.m., depending on Thursday's results.

Semifinal action will take place on Saturday with at least two games, at noon and 2:30 p.m., with the possibility of one or two more contests to follow if necessary. The championship game is set for Sunday at noon.

All of Thursday's and Friday's games will be streamed on the Big South Network, Saturday's play will air on ESPN3 and Sunday's winner-take-all championship, with a berth in the NCAA field at stake, will be broadcast on ESPNU.

The tournament champion will earn an automatic bid into the NCAA regionals field.